This application is a 371 of PCT/EP02/03426 filed Mar. 27, 2002.
This invention relates generally to care preparations and, more particularly, to preparations containing extracts from the pericarp of the plant Litchi chinensis Sonn. and procyanidins (procyanidolic oligomers) and procyanidin derivatives isolated therefrom and to the use of extracts from the pericarp of the plant Litchi chinensis Sonn. and procyanidolic oligomers (OPCs) and derivatives thereof isolated therefrom.
Cosmetic preparations are available to the consumer is a variety of combinations. Not only are these cosmetics expected to have a certain care effect or to eliminate a certain deficiency, there is also an increasing demand for products which have several properties at one and the same time and which therefore show an improved performance spectrum. The user is also entitled to expect the composition of the product to have optimal dermatological compatibility so that even people with sensitive skin do not react with irritation. In addition, however, the preparations should also perform other functions which increasingly lie in the field of care and particularly the protection of skin and hair.
Extracts of plants and their ingredients are being increasingly used in cosmetology and dermatology. Plant extracts have been used for many years in various cultures for medicinal and even cosmetic purposes.
Thus, JP 4247009 describes a mixture of two plant extracts from the fruit of Litchi chinensis Sonn. and the whole plant parts of Ganoderma lucidum Karst. which were extracted using a water-soluble organic solvent. The composition obtained is used as a skin whitener and moisturizer.